Drop out rate bites back

By 2050, demographics will bring about a surprising switch in America: Kids will be responsible for the nation’s safety net – today’s kids, that is. By then, they will taking care of their parents and grandparents with little hope that anyone will be taking care of them when they get old.

Unfortunately, we are ignoring the primary cause of this potential disaster- an undereducated population. Without better jobs that come with a good education, today’s kids won’t be able to adequately support Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security with their taxes. Given the low paying jobs they’ll be able to get, they could need social services themselves, creating another drain on the system.

Since we’re in Texas, let’s focus on the problem here.

Texas is one of the fastest growing states in the nation. Between 2000 and 2040, our population is expected to increase by 71.5 percent. In 2040, there will be 36.8 million people in Texas – a 151 percent increase over 1980. By then, state demographers also project that “the share of the population aged 65 or older will nearly double to 18 percent.”

Meanwhile, the dropout rate in Texas remains high compared to other states. The Intercultural Development Research Association says Texas schools are losing 13 students per hour, one of the most alarming statistics I’ve ever read.

Can we protect ourselves from the future that portends? Suggestions from the Annie E. Casey Foundation could work. It was established in 1948 by a founder of UPS. It’s now the largest private foundation in America and it’s dedicated to meeting the needs of vulnerable children and families.

According to the Casey Foundation, we must first “strengthen school readiness” by promoting maternal and child health and expanding access to high quality education at early ages. Schools must do more to “hold on to students especially in the ninth grade.” Society should address “outside forces” that cause drop outs – mental health issues, care taking duties kids have at home, no clothes, no shoes, no money for books, computers or transportation to after school activities.

Finally, the Casey Foundation urges us to pay more attention to groups most likely to drop out. It also believes we should have more mentors in schools – adults who can act as “personal anchors,” helping students stay in school.

These are common sense suggestions. It’s my hope Texas has enough common sense to adopt them. And I bet we do!

One Response

As advocates of an all-hands-on-deck approach to preventing students from dropping out, the NoDropouts team applauds efforts to get absent teens to return to school. Students often drop out not for a lack of motivation, but for a lack of options: They’re fleeing bullies; they’re parents who can’t afford child care; they’re overaged and undercredited and don’t have a good pathway to recovery. Want to learn more about effective ways to stem the dropout epidemic? Visit us at NoDropouts.org.